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KevinElsterWasFAT:Not to go way off track here, but here's a little game to play. My Padre friend just posted the following on my facebook wall:
"sorry your hundo million payroll couldnt buy you a World Series yet again...what is that 20+ years since youve been to the big dance? seeya in 2010"
I want to respond with something that will shut him the F-CK up, absolutely silence him, making him hate his life for being a Padre fan. Who of you guys/girls can come up with the wittiest response to his post? What would you say in response?
Simple solution - find out where he lives, then go there and beat the crap out of him. That'll shut him up.
www.shmolnick.comCan't believe the lynch mob mentality expressed on this thread. The Dodgers pitching staff had nothing close to a #1 starting pitcher. The opening day starter had three serious injuries, the bullpen had no veteran member until the deal for Sherrill, yet we somehow pieced together the BEST pitching numbers in baseball. Now, apparently I'm the only one who doesn't want to fire the pitching coach!
In 2009 the Dodgers led the National League allowing the fewest/lowest Hits, Runs, Earned Runs, Total Bases, Slugging Percentage, On Base Pct., WalksHits per innings pitched, Batting Average Against, Hits per 9 innngs, and lowest Earned Run Average. No Wainwrights, No Lincecums, No Carpenters, No Lees, No Cains, No Oswalts, No Halladays, No Sabathias, Nor Greinkes, No Verlanders, No Jurrjens, No FMartinez. How did they lead the league in all these categories? Couldn't have been the pitching coach, so let's run him out of town on a rail. Baloney!
Now, there also seems to be one of those "if you say often enough, it must be true" rants, about Dodger pitchers nibbling because of Honeycutt's "style". When I was in Vero Beach, I was fortunate enought to get to hear some internal conversations between Honeycutt, Dan Warthen, and others. The statement Honeycutt instructs his pitchers nibble is completely and utterly false. I have heard first hand Honeycutt trying to get even veteran pitchers to establish the inside corner and pitch aggressively in the strike zone.
Rick Honeycutt and our entire coaching staff are assets to the Dodgers.
SamAdams:Can't believe the lynch mob mentality expressed on this thread. The Dodgers pitching staff had nothing close to a #1 starting pitcher. The opening day starter had three serious injuries, the bullpen had no veteran member until the deal for Sherrill, yet we somehow pieced together the BEST pitching numbers in baseball. Now, apparently I'm the only one who doesn't want to fire the pitching coach!
In 2009 the Dodgers led the National League allowing the fewest/lowest Hits, Runs, Earned Runs, Total Bases, Slugging Percentage, On Base Pct., WalksHits per innings pitched, Batting Average Against, Hits per 9 innngs, and lowest Earned Run Average. No Wainwrights, No Lincecums, No Carpenters, No Lees, No Cains, No Oswalts, No Halladays, No Sabathias, Nor Greinkes, No Verlanders, No Jurrjens, No FMartinez. How did they lead the league in all these categories? Couldn't have been the pitching coach, so let's run him out of town on a rail. Baloney!
Now, there also seems to be one of those "if you say often enough, it must be true" rants, about Dodger pitchers nibbling because of Honeycutt's "style". When I was in Vero Beach, I was fortunate enought to get to hear some internal conversations between Honeycutt, Dan Warthen, and others. The statement Honeycutt instructs his pitchers nibble is completely and utterly false. I have heard first hand Honeycutt trying to get even veteran pitchers to establish the inside corner and pitch aggressively in the strike zone.
Rick Honeycutt and our entire coaching staff are assets to the Dodgers.
If that is the case, and I have no reason at all to doubt you, then Honeycutt needs to be more up front and aggressive in getting these guys to STOP nibbling. They've all got good stuff, use it.
Poor fella, he has no ideaSamAdams:Can't believe the lynch mob mentality expressed on this thread. The Dodgers pitching staff had nothing close to a #1 starting pitcher. The opening day starter had three serious injuries, the bullpen had no veteran member until the deal for Sherrill, yet we somehow pieced together the BEST pitching numbers in baseball. Now, apparently I'm the only one who doesn't want to fire the pitching coach!
In 2009 the Dodgers led the National League allowing the fewest/lowest Hits, Runs, Earned Runs, Total Bases, Slugging Percentage, On Base Pct., WalksHits per innings pitched, Batting Average Against, Hits per 9 innngs, and lowest Earned Run Average. No Wainwrights, No Lincecums, No Carpenters, No Lees, No Cains, No Oswalts, No Halladays, No Sabathias, Nor Greinkes, No Verlanders, No Jurrjens, No FMartinez. How did they lead the league in all these categories? Couldn't have been the pitching coach, so let's run him out of town on a rail. Baloney!
Now, there also seems to be one of those "if you say often enough, it must be true" rants, about Dodger pitchers nibbling because of Honeycutt's "style". When I was in Vero Beach, I was fortunate enought to get to hear some internal conversations between Honeycutt, Dan Warthen, and others. The statement Honeycutt instructs his pitchers nibble is completely and utterly false. I have heard first hand Honeycutt trying to get even veteran pitchers to establish the inside corner and pitch aggressively in the strike zone.
Rick Honeycutt and our entire coaching staff are assets to the Dodgers.
I hear what you're saying. I've been banging this drum as well. At the end of the day, we have no clue what Honeycutt is actually doing or how he is instructing our staff ... it's hard to make an informed comment. I do understand the logic, though. All of our pitchers in that series against Philly were afraid to throw strikes. We essentially lost the series because of poor pitching. Obviously, there must be something wrong with the pitching coach, right? Just like when the lineup struggles, you blame the hitting coach ...
At the end of the day, I'm not sure that is a call that we are qualified to make. Was it Honeycutt instructing those pitchers to nibble into 3-ball counts? Or was our staff just scared shitless to throw strikes against that lineup? I'm not sure.
I do know that our staff in the "honeycutt era" has been pretty successful statistically and we've turned quite a few frogs into princes in that time and developed some quality young players.
I'll say this - I don't want to see us pitch like we did in the NLCS again and whatever accomplishes that - I am all for.
The mad scientist formerly known as ngrossSam Adams, the reality is that the pitchers on the staff do tend to niible on the outside corner, thereby walking too many batters and starters not being able to go deep in to games, and they did pitch tentatively for the 2nd year in a row in the NLDS.
Granted, I don't know what Honeycutt says to the pitchers, but the fact that the pitchers on the staff walk too many batters and starters can't go deep is symptomatic of issues in what the pitchers are ACTUALLY doing.
Plus, I watch the majority of Dodger games and I see the approach that the pitchers take. For the most part, they do work the middle of the plate and outward.
If Honeycutt wants these guys to work the inside half of the plate more, why doesn't he get on these guys?
See, for me, its about development of the mentality for the young pitchers. If they don't change their mentality soon, then this is how they are always going to pitch.
I just don't have faith that Honeycutt is the pitching coach that is going to really bring our young pitchers to the next level.
Heck, he didn't know Guilermo Mota was tipping his pitches. Luckily we had Ausmus around to tell Mota that our he would have been utterly useless for the whole season.
KevinElsterWasFAT:Should serve as an excellent graphic complement to what I hope to will be a nice little paragraph on why his life is so empty being a Pud fan.
I'm hoping to sort of get a few more answers, then combine 'em into something good...thanks guys.
I don't know how much these will help but how 'bout: 1. San Diego Padres? Isn't that Spanish for Washington Generals?
2. Forty years and still a virgin. Do the Padres live in their mother's basement?
3. Being a Padres' fan means that your Octobers are free.
I'll play the radio on Southern stations because Southern Belles are Hell at night...All season long the same pitchers who sucked in the post season for us pitched well against good hitting teams. Yes, they got hit a few times but for the most part the pitchers were able to handle good lineups during the regular season. The Dodgers could not have achieved the lowest ERA and all the other stats cited by Sam if that was not the case. I hate to say it, but I think our pitching staff simply choked under the pressure of the big stage, big time, and that was the problem. At least that's the way it looked to me. The control of most of them was way off from what they had ususally shown all year and I don't think it was because of nibbling. Sherrill putched his single worst games of the whole time we had him. Broxton couldn't hit the broad side of a barn in that critical blown game. etc.
beefchopper:All season long the same pitchers who sucked in the post season for us pitched well against good hitting teams. Yes, they got hit a few times but for the most part the pitchers were able to handle good lineups during the regular season. The Dodgers could not have achieved the lowest ERA and all the other stats cited by Sam if that was not the case. I hate to say it, but I think our pitching staff simply choked under the pressure of the big stage, big time, and that was the problem. At least that's the way it looked to me. The control of most of them was way off from what they had ususally shown all year and I don't think it was because of nibbling. Sherrill putched his single worst games of the whole time we had him. Broxton couldn't hit the broad side of a barn in that critical blown game. etc.
Granted, stats like ERA say that our pitching was good, but part of the problem we had was that our pen was on fumes. That was because, all season long, our pitchers nibbled. It was considered normal for our pitchers to be a hundred pitches by the fifth or sixth inning. That doesn't come from owning the strike zone, but more from pitching like Honeycutt did during his career. For whatever reason Honeycutt had some limited success by nibbling, but as far back as two years ago, some of us were calling for a pitching coach who was more aggressive in the strike zone.
Sure Sherrill and others picked the wrong time to pitch the worst games of the season, but someone has to be the fall guy for the poor performance in the NLCS by our pitchers and that fall guy is Honeycutt. Actually, I feel that he was on borrowed time as long as two years ago. I just hope that the Dodgers are patient when selecting their next pitching coach. There are plenty of good candidates, I feel we even have a couple in house in Hough and Ausmus. Sure, I would love Duncan, but are we willing to pay a pitching coach more than we will pay some of our pitchers?
I'll play the radio on Southern stations because Southern Belles are Hell at night...Dave Duncan is an example of a very good pitching coach.
Watch Carpenter and Wainwright. Those guys pound the zone, but don't just throw it right down the middle.
They pitch inside and outside and try to get ahead of batters. They also work deep into games as a result of pounding the zone and letting the defense help them out.
Let's just look at individual pitchers. Pedro Martinez, Greg Maddux, Roger Clemens...all great pitchers pitched inside and Pedro was arguably the most dominant pitcher of his generation because, frankly, hitters were intimidated by him. He always had the outside corner because no batter was dumb enough to try and crowd the plate.
Now let's look at Billz. He hardly ever works the inside of the plate and when he is missing the outside corner, he is in trouble because he tends to get behind on batters and, consequently, walk some of them.
His big innings have usually started by giving up a couple walks, then getting behind a 3rd batter and having to throw a fastball on a tee over to the hitter. That's a BAD way to pitch.
I say get someone like Dave Duncan, Charlie Hough or even Orel Hershiser to teach these guys how to pitch.
grabarkewitz:Granted, stats like ERA say that our pitching was good, but part of the problem we had was that our pen was on fumes. That was because, all season long, our pitchers nibbled. It was considered normal for our pitchers to be a hundred pitches by the fifth or sixth inning. That doesn't come from owning the strike zone, but more from pitching like Honeycutt did during his career. For whatever reason Honeycutt had some limited success by nibbling, but as far back as two years ago, some of us were calling for a pitching coach who was more aggressive in the strike zone.
Sure Sherrill and others picked the wrong time to pitch the worst games of the season, but someone has to be the fall guy for the poor performance in the NLCS by our pitchers and that fall guy is Honeycutt. Actually, I feel that he was on borrowed time as long as two years ago. I just hope that the Dodgers are patient when selecting their next pitching coach. There are plenty of good candidates, I feel we even have a couple in house in Hough and Ausmus. Sure, I would love Duncan, but are we willing to pay a pitching coach more than we will pay some of our pitchers?
I disagree that Honeycutt should be the fall guy, or that anyone should be a "fall guy". There are 26 teams in MLB that wish they had made it to the LCS. There are 28 teams that wish they had won their division the last two season AND played in the LCS.
You like to tell us about your legal background. I spent 30 years in corporate America with a Fortune 500 company myself. Let me tell you this. In the real world if a management person put up the kind of performance numbers that Honeycutt's pitching staff did this year and was then made "the fall guy" for some perceived "nibbling" issue by his employees, you could have represented said manager in a wrongful termination suit. If you're worth the buttons on your three piece suit, you and your client would be major stockholders when it was over.
grabarkewitz:Granted, stats like ERA say that our pitching was good, but part of the problem we had was that our pen was on fumes. That was because, all season long, our pitchers nibbled. It was considered normal for our pitchers to be a hundred pitches by the fifth or sixth inning. That doesn't come from owning the strike zone, but more from pitching like Honeycutt did during his career. For whatever reason Honeycutt had some limited success by nibbling, but as far back as two years ago, some of us were calling for a pitching coach who was more aggressive in the strike zone.
Sure Sherrill and others picked the wrong time to pitch the worst games of the season, but someone has to be the fall guy for the poor performance in the NLCS by our pitchers and that fall guy is Honeycutt. Actually, I feel that he was on borrowed time as long as two years ago. I just hope that the Dodgers are patient when selecting their next pitching coach. There are plenty of good candidates, I feel we even have a couple in house in Hough and Ausmus. Sure, I would love Duncan, but are we willing to pay a pitching coach more than we will pay some of our pitchers?
I'm not so sure that it's a foregone conclusion that Honeycutt will be fired. Also, Brad Ausmus? That's who you want for our pitching coach? Someone with no experience as a pitcher or as a pitching coach? To replace someone who coached one of the best staffs in the NL?
Perhaps a change would help, but not just for the sake of making a change. That could have an adverse effect on our staff.
The mad scientist formerly known as ngrossgrabarkewitz:I don't know how much these will help but how 'bout: 1. San Diego Padres? Isn't that Spanish for Washington Generals?
2. Forty years and still a virgin. Do the Padres live in their mother's basement?
3. Being a Padres' fan means that your Octobers are free.
Encourage him to fire up his video highlights of the Putrids' 1984 campaign to warm himself--AGAIN. Also, remind him you've witnessed "X" number of Dodger WS championships in your lifetime (not sure how old you are--but "two" is my answer for people). And the empty trophy case remains awesome.
Funny how fans of other teams that haven't won ANYTHING in their history bring up the "no WS since 1988" crap. The Putrids appeared in the 1998 WS and were handily swept by the Yankees. Is that something to be proud of?
elysianpark62:Encourage him to fire up his video highlights of the Putrids' 1984 campaign--AGAIN.
Funny how fans of other teams that haven't won ANYTHING in their history bring up the "no WS since 1988" crap. The Putrids appeared in the 1998 WS and were handily swept by the Yankees. Is that something to be proud of?
Seriously..I have a big issue with Padre fans, I really really can't stand them. They are like a little chihuahua barking at the heels of a bigger dog...in other words, so much background noise. I'm not proud of it, but I one time shoved to the ground a Padre fan/friend who got in my face yapping about how he hates the Dodgers. So many of my college friends were from SD and they are so f-ing obnoxious. The argument about the Dodgers trying to buy a world series is soooooo tired, and to be honest I can't stand it either when people use that against the Yankees. It's nothing illegal to have a high payroll. To me, it's nothing but pure jealousy when a fan brings up the payroll issue. I just wrote back to my buddy saying that yeah it's frustrating not having won the series again this year, but I am getting used to the multiple division titles/playoff experiences/division series sweeps, etc, and that it's so much better to be a dodger fan than a padre fan, trust me. I also wrote that according to his logic regarding payroll, the Dodgers shouldn't have even made it to the LCS, considering the Mets, 'Stros, Cubbies, and BoSox all have higher payrolls, and that the Phillies deserved to beat the Dodgers cuz they had a higher payroll. Please. Let's see what he writes back.
PS...thanks for the ideas guys...Grabs I liked the 40 year old virgin one a lot.
KevinElsterWasFAT:Seriously..I have a big issue with Padre fans, I really really can't stand them. They are like a little chihuahua barking at the heels of a bigger dog...in other words, so much background noise. I'm not proud of it, but I one time shoved to the ground a Padre fan/friend who got in my face yapping about how he hates the Dodgers. So many of my college friends were from SD and they are so f-ing obnoxious. The argument about the Dodgers trying to buy a world series is soooooo tired, and to be honest I can't stand it either when people use that against the Yankees. It's nothing illegal to have a high payroll. To me, it's nothing but pure jealousy when a fan brings up the payroll issue. I just wrote back to my buddy saying that yeah it's frustrating not having won the series again this year, but I am getting used to the multiple division titles/playoff experiences/division series sweeps, etc, and that it's so much better to be a dodger fan than a padre fan, trust me. I also wrote that according to his logic regarding payroll, the Dodgers shouldn't have even made it to the LCS, considering the Mets, 'Stros, Cubbies, and BoSox all have higher payrolls, and that the Phillies deserved to beat the Dodgers cuz they had a higher payroll. Please. Let's see what he writes back.
PS...thanks for the ideas guys...Grabs I liked the 40 year old virgin one a lot.
The Dodgers cannot let Mattingly slip away as a managerial candidate. There's a good chance of him landing the Indians' job, but the Dodger job is his to have in just one year. They need to assure him it's his for the taking. Otherwise, next year at this time, we will be faced with even more instability as the Dodgers being their search for yet another manager. I believe Torre when he says next year will be his last.
Again, my question is, when will this organization have a sense of continuity and stability? If Mattingly gets away, just wait until we hear what candidates will be considered. Of course, who knows what the ownership picture will look like then? Criminy!
KevinElsterWasFAT:Seriously..I have a big issue with Padre fans, I really really can't stand them. They are like a little chihuahua barking at the heels of a bigger dog...in other words, so much background noise. I'm not proud of it, but I one time shoved to the ground a Padre fan/friend who got in my face yapping about how he hates the Dodgers. So many of my college friends were from SD and they are so f-ing obnoxious. The argument about the Dodgers trying to buy a world series is soooooo tired, and to be honest I can't stand it either when people use that against the Yankees. It's nothing illegal to have a high payroll. To me, it's nothing but pure jealousy when a fan brings up the payroll issue. I just wrote back to my buddy saying that yeah it's frustrating not having won the series again this year, but I am getting used to the multiple division titles/playoff experiences/division series sweeps, etc, and that it's so much better to be a dodger fan than a padre fan, trust me. I also wrote that according to his logic regarding payroll, the Dodgers shouldn't have even made it to the LCS, considering the Mets, 'Stros, Cubbies, and BoSox all have higher payrolls, and that the Phillies deserved to beat the Dodgers cuz they had a higher payroll. Please. Let's see what he writes back.
PS...thanks for the ideas guys...Grabs I liked the 40 year old virgin one a lot.
I liked your response that you went with! Let's see what he says. It's about so much more than just the Dodgers. It's the whole Los Angeles thing and people wanting to see it crumble. "Beat L.A.!" YAWN. But thanks for the compliment, folks. It's envy. Why else do they get so fired up over it? I just keep reminding myself that no one chants, "Beat Cleveland!"
SamAdams:I disagree that Honeycutt should be the fall guy, or that anyone should be a "fall guy". There are 26 teams in MLB that wish they had made it to the LCS. There are 28 teams that wish they had won their division the last two season AND played in the LCS.
You like to tell us about your legal background. I spent 30 years in corporate America with a Fortune 500 company myself. Let me tell you this. In the real world if a management person put up the kind of performance numbers that Honeycutt's pitching staff did this year and was then made "the fall guy" for some perceived "nibbling" issue by his employees, you could have represented said manager in a wrongful termination suit. If you're worth the buttons on your three piece suit, you and your client would be major stockholders when it was over.
Since when is baseball the real world? Guys getting paid millions to play a kid's game. Any rules of business and management go out the door in baseball. Honeycutt is not some sacred cow like Lasorda, but a member of the mid level management. Seeing as how the people he "supervises" make more than he does and the man who is his boss is another sacred cow, someone will take the hit for the performance during the NLCS. Baseball, like most any other business is about what have you done lately. Numbers only tell half of the story. Did his charges show marked improvement? Was he able to meet all quotas? Lastly, if you are talking wrongful termination, try playing that in a court of law. Anyone in this sport, in a mid-management level, knows that tomorrow could be their last day, that is why most of them work on a one year contract.
That wrongful termination might play at Microsoft or AT&T, but in the world of sports, termination doesn't have to be justified. Ask Joe Girardi that. All an owner or GM has to say is that the team is going in another direction. Doesn't make it right, but if Honeycutt falls under the chopping block, I will not dispute that move.
I'll play the radio on Southern stations because Southern Belles are Hell at night...DoppelgangBang:I'm not so sure that it's a foregone conclusion that Honeycutt will be fired. Also, Brad Ausmus? That's who you want for our pitching coach? Someone with no experience as a pitcher or as a pitching coach? To replace someone who coached one of the best staffs in the NL?
Perhaps a change would help, but not just for the sake of making a change. That could have an adverse effect on our staff.
I look at it like this. Ausmus shows up and in very little time he fixes Mota. IMO, that puts him one up on Honeycutt. Since when does pitching coach require that the person be a former pitcher or spend years coaching in the minors. Dave Duncan was a catcher and is considered the best of the best. Orel Hershiser went right to the Rangers as a pitching coach, no experience in the minors, and did a credible job with sub-standard talent. If the person in question is smart enough, will work hard enough and is ready, do experience or position really make a difference?
There is no question that Ausmus is smart enough, he has a reputation for working hard and he has a relationship with the pitchers on this team. To me, it would seem that Ausmus is more qualified that any outsider and it would be short-sighted on Torre or Colletti's part to no seriously consider him as pitching coach when (or if) Honeycutt is shown the door.
I'll play the radio on Southern stations because Southern Belles are Hell at night...elysianpark62:The Dodgers cannot let Mattingly slip away as a managerial candidate. There's a good chance of him landing the Indians' job, but the Dodger job is his to have in just one year. They need to assure him it's his for the taking. Otherwise, next year at this time, we will be faced with even more instability as the Dodgers being their search for yet another manager. I believe Torre when he says next year will be his last.
Again, my question is, when will this organization have a sense of continuity and stability? If Mattingly gets away, just wait until we hear what candidates will be considered. Of course, who knows what the ownership picture will look like then? Criminy!
EP, according to Heyman, it looks like the Dodgers are already moving in that direction. Plus, Heyman wonders if Donnie really wants to manage a rebuild project where he likely will not even get to sniff the playoffs for a very long time. He waits out the year, he gets a team that is young and full of upside. Sounds like a no-brainer to me.
I'll play the radio on Southern stations because Southern Belles are Hell at night...grabarkewitz:I look at it like this. Ausmus shows up and in very little time he fixes Mota. IMO, that puts him one up on Honeycutt. Since when does pitching coach require that the person be a former pitcher or spend years coaching in the minors. Dave Duncan was a catcher and is considered the best of the best. Orel Hershiser went right to the Rangers as a pitching coach, no experience in the minors, and did a credible job with sub-standard talent. If the person in question is smart enough, will work hard enough and is ready, do experience or position really make a difference?
There is no question that Ausmus is smart enough, he has a reputation for working hard and he has a relationship with the pitchers on this team. To me, it would seem that Ausmus is more qualified that any outsider and it would be short-sighted on Torre or Colletti's part to no seriously consider him as pitching coach when (or if) Honeycutt is shown the door.
I understand giving Orel a chance, but at the time, Texas' pitching was god awful and they had nowhere to go but up - that's a good time to take a flier on someone who might prove out to be a good coach. I don't think our situation calls for the same type of action. We finished first, have a stellar pitching staff that needs some work, but excelled over the season and floundered in the playoffs. I'm not sure now is the time to take a flier on an unknown to replace a productive known quantity.
The mad scientist formerly known as ngrossYeah, I agree with grabarkewitz re: Honeycutt. Facts are, his contract is up after this year and the organization is free to move in any direction they want.
Not saying Honeycutt will be fired (I have seen no evidence to show that is true), but if he is, there will be no cause for wrongful termination on his part.
Reality is, when they analyze this season, it should be apparent that a big reason for the Dodgers not making it to the World Series the last two years has been disappointing performances by the pitching staff in the NLCS.
Am I saying its all Honeycutt's fault? No. But is it EVER solely a manager or coach's fault for a team underperforming? No.
Unfortunately, someone's head has to roll if a team sees itself as needing to improve or get to the next level.
DoppelgangBang:I understand giving Orel a chance, but at the time, Texas' pitching was god awful and they had nowhere to go but up - that's a good time to take a flier on someone who might prove out to be a good coach. I don't think our situation calls for the same type of action. We finished first, have a stellar pitching staff that needs some work, but excelled over the season and floundered in the playoffs. I'm not sure now is the time to take a flier on an unknown to replace a productive known quantity.
Yes, the circumstances are different, but I would hardly call Ausmus an unknown quantity. I would think that he is a more known quantity that some guy from the farm or some guy who never pitched (or caught) in the show. Yes, he has not "coached" a pitching staff in the literal sense, but having worked behind the plate and considered a very intelligent handler of pitchers, I would say he is no more of a risk than Charlie Hough or Greg Maddux.
I'll play the radio on Southern stations because Southern Belles are Hell at night...Personally my ideal situation is the following: Mattingly as Manager, with Ausmus as Bench Coach. Hire Orel, Mazonne, Duncan or Maddux to be pitching coach, and try to steal Gibby away from AZ to be our hitting coach. Ideally we could groom Ausmus as Donnie's successor, but in reality he'd probably get hired by someone else before Donnie's tenure is over, assuming Donnie does well.
If there were to be stability and the ability to spend big this offseason--which I'm not holding my breath for--here are the moves that I make if I'm Ned.
First...Go hard after Halladay...make it clear from the beginning that we want Doc and are willing to negotiate seriously for however long it takes. Looks like Toronto might be in the hunt for a catcher if Barajas opts for free agency. Start with an offer of Martin and McD for Doc (which I think is waaaay more than enough for a one year rental). If this deal gets done, maybe sign Barajas to a one-year deal. While the guy hit under .230, he did belt 19 homers and drive in 71 RBI. Correct me if I'm wrong, but he's solid behind the plate, isn't he?
Second...Get Dan Uggla. Not really sure what the Fish's needs are, except maybe third base and probably young pitching. I start with an offer of centering around Dewitt and Elbert and maybe another young infielder not named Dee Gordon...
As secondary moves, I resign Garland to a one year deal and see what the market for Randy Wolf is. If there isn't much, why not sign the guy to a two or three year deal at $4-5 million per?
Raffy
Kemp
Ethier
Manny
Uggla
Blake
Loney
Barajas
Halladay
Wolf
Kershaw
Billz
Kuroda (with Garland and Lindbloom ready to jump in to the rotation)
Without upsetting our core, I think this team could take it up to the next level. I'm not ready to give up on Loney or Billz this year.
KevinElsterWasFAT:If there were to be stability and the ability to spend big this offseason--which I'm not holding my breath for--here are the moves that I make if I'm Ned.
First...Go hard after Halladay...make it clear from the beginning that we want Doc and are willing to negotiate seriously for however long it takes. Looks like Toronto might be in the hunt for a catcher if Barajas opts for free agency. Start with an offer of Martin and McD for Doc (which I think is waaaay more than enough for a one year rental). If this deal gets done, maybe sign Barajas to a one-year deal. While the guy hit under .230, he did belt 19 homers and drive in 71 RBI. Correct me if I'm wrong, but he's solid behind the plate, isn't he?
Second...Get Dan Uggla. Not really sure what the Fish's needs are, except maybe third base and probably young pitching. I start with an offer of centering around Dewitt and Elbert and maybe another young infielder not named Dee Gordon...
As secondary moves, I resign Garland to a one year deal and see what the market for Randy Wolf is. If there isn't much, why not sign the guy to a two or three year deal at $4-5 million per?
Raffy
Kemp
Ethier
Manny
Uggla
Blake
Loney
BarajasHalladay
Wolf
Kershaw
Billz
Kuroda (with Garland and Lindbloom ready to jump in to the rotation)Without upsetting our core, I think this team could take it up to the next level. I'm not ready to give up on Loney or Billz this year.
I really like your moves, but I don't think The Brand is going to spend anywhere near that kind of money. Off the top of my head, that adds $20M to this year's payroll, Schmidt coming off the pay roll included.
"I know, everybody funny, now you funny too."KevinElsterWasFAT:If there were to be stability and the ability to spend big this offseason--which I'm not holding my breath for--here are the moves that I make if I'm Ned.
First...Go hard after Halladay...make it clear from the beginning that we want Doc and are willing to negotiate seriously for however long it takes. Looks like Toronto might be in the hunt for a catcher if Barajas opts for free agency. Start with an offer of Martin and McD for Doc (which I think is waaaay more than enough for a one year rental). If this deal gets done, maybe sign Barajas to a one-year deal. While the guy hit under .230, he did belt 19 homers and drive in 71 RBI. Correct me if I'm wrong, but he's solid behind the plate, isn't he?
Second...Get Dan Uggla. Not really sure what the Fish's needs are, except maybe third base and probably young pitching. I start with an offer of centering around Dewitt and Elbert and maybe another young infielder not named Dee Gordon...
As secondary moves, I resign Garland to a one year deal and see what the market for Randy Wolf is. If there isn't much, why not sign the guy to a two or three year deal at $4-5 million per?
Raffy
Kemp
Ethier
Manny
Uggla
Blake
Loney
BarajasHalladay
Wolf
Kershaw
Billz
Kuroda (with Garland and Lindbloom ready to jump in to the rotation)Without upsetting our core, I think this team could take it up to the next level. I'm not ready to give up on Loney or Billz this year.
I like the Halliday/Barajas and Uggla moves, but I'd be more willing to sign or pick up the option (does anyone not know there's one on him?) on Padilla (the option is 12M though so that's a bit pricey), than Garland.
Now that Manny is finally signed, lets get Pierre off the teamThrowdeuce:I like the Halliday/Barajas and Uggla moves, but I'd be more willing to sign or pick up the option (does anyone not know there's one on him?) on Padilla (the option is 12M though so that's a bit pricey), than Garland.
I don't think Padilla still has an option. He cleared waivers and became a free agent, so Texas was on the hook for anything associated with his old contract. I don't believe the Dodgers have anything to do with him other than the $100k or so he made pitching for us this year.
That said, I'd still take him back if he'd be willing to sign a 1 year deal for say, $4m or so.
Mike Scioscia's tragic illness - the blog! For Dodger analysis, reviews, and hilarity.Mike Scioscias tragic illness:I don't think Padilla still has an option. He cleared waivers and became a free agent, so Texas was on the hook for anything associated with his old contract. I don't believe the Dodgers have anything to do with him other than the $100k or so he made pitching for us this year.
That said, I'd still take him back if he'd be willing to sign a 1 year deal for say, $4m or so.
Just going by COT's and also the Dodger Web Site said they other day there was an option, so I tend to think it just wasn't removed because he was released.
Now that Manny is finally signed, lets get Pierre off the teamThrowdeuce:Just going by COT's and also the Dodger Web Site said they other day there was an option, so I tend to think it just wasn't removed because he was released.
Cot's says that because it's referring to his Rangers contract, and TBLA has him as a free agent:
http://www.truebluela.com/2009/10/22/1095917/dodger-roster-breakdown
But if the Dodgers web site said that, i guess it could be true.
Mike Scioscia's tragic illness - the blog! For Dodger analysis, reviews, and hilarity.Mike Scioscias tragic illness:Cot's says that because it's referring to his Rangers contract, and TBLA has him as a free agent:
http://www.truebluela.com/2009/10/22/1095917/dodger-roster-breakdown
But if the Dodgers web site said that, i guess it could be true.
Kissyface also has him as a free agent. Given those two sources, I go with no option exists and we can resign him to a favorable contract. I believe we can opt out on Garland and the Snakes are on the hook for the buyout. Of the two, I think that Padilla might be the easier (cheaper) sign. He has expressed a desire to stay here and he seems to get along well with Manny and Raffy. Garland hasn't indicated, one way or another whether he wants to stay with the Dodgers. I am thinking he might be looking for a deal with the Angels as they might need an arm.
I'll play the radio on Southern stations because Southern Belles are Hell at night...Some good news for a change. It appears that the Padres will hire Jed Hoyer as their new GM. Kim Ng is staying with the Dodgers, for the time being. Now, if we could just get some news that the Astros have hired Manny Acta, the Nats, Bobby Valentine and the Indians go after Ron Roenicke or Bob Melvin.
Count Olney as another wonk who thinks we don't have enough to go after Halladay.
I'll play the radio on Southern stations because Southern Belles are Hell at night...